The need for caregiving can happen slowly as part of the natural aging process, or suddenly because of an accident, a new diagnosis, or a hospitalization. A care plan is an organizational tool outlining needs, actions, and responsivities to ensure that seniors, family members, caregivers, and other health professionals know what to do on a daily basis. In this article, we outline best practices to keep in mind in order to create a successful care plan.
How to Create a Successful Care Plan
What is a Caregiving Plan?
Adding to the list of basics outlined above is a caregiving plan. A caregiving plan is an individualized plan created for your loved one and lays out what needs to be done to manage their mental and physical health now and in the future. Caregiving plans help you prepare for what’s to come and reduce your stress and workload. Caregiving plans may include:
- The wishes of your loved one
- Developing a care team
- Understanding finances
- Completing legal documents
- Planning for care in the home or in a long-term care facility
- Managing medical care for your loved one
Having a caregiver plan is one of the most important and basic necessities we recommend for all caregivers. Creating one doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Make sure to discuss the plan with the patient. Seniors typically feel better when they’re allowed to give input on their own care. If they’re unable to provide input, turn to the individuals who are most well-informed to make decisions on their own behalf.
Consult other individuals about the elderly care plan as well. This can include family members, primary care physicians, and other healthcare providers. Going over the plan with healthcare providers can also ensure that the information on the form is complete and accurate.
How It Benefits the Elderly
Having an elderly care plan will likely reduce hospitalizations and trips to the emergency room. A care plan can include information that prevents accidents, such as issues with safety in a patient’s home, fall risks, and mobility issues. In case of medical emergencies, having a care plan ready ensures the issues can be addressed in a timely manner.
A care plan also covers how to best accommodate the individual’s health conditions. This includes plans for physical therapy, memory care, and lifestyle recommendations, such as exercise and socialization.
How It Benefits Caregivers
As a caregiver, it is important that you do not overlook your needs as well. In order to provide the best quality care, you also need to take great care of yourself. Overlooking self-care can lead to anxiety, depression, frustration, and impatience.
Writing a care plan can help you create a structured routine, which in turn can greatly reduce stress. A detailed care plan can also help you handle challenging or difficult behaviors.
Care plans can also be helpful for deciding when it’s time for the individual to enter assisted living. It serves as a guide to ensure your loved one gets the same level of care in one of those programs that you provided as a caregiver.
Steps to Create a Successful Care Plan or Reevaluate the Current Plan
Identify Care Needs and Set Goals
- Assess your loved one’s abilities and needs.
- Identify what is lacking in their current routine.
- Cover all aspects of your loved one’s life and circumstances, such as environment, daily care routine, medical care, legal documents, and finances.
Build a Comprehensive Care Team
- Include family members, friends, elder law attorneys, and home care professionals.
- Have a professional care manager participate to explain to a resistant loved one that help is necessary.
Create a Caregiving Action Plan
- Delegate tasks to the appropriate family member or professional.
- Give specific instructions, including days and times, along with a commitment from each person to complete tasks.
Tap into Other Services and Products
- After assigning tasks to team members, fill any gaps with professional services.
- Work with a care manager who can direct you to available community services.
Implement the Care Plan, Revisit, and Revise
- Regularly evaluate that the person’s needs are being met. A care plan is an ever-evolving tool as a person’s care needs change over time.
- Create a communication platform to keep family and team members informed and united around the welfare of the care recipient
Creating a Successful Care Plan is Crucial for Providing Effective Caregiving
Care plans are essential tools used by healthcare professionals to outline the necessary steps and interventions to promote the patient’s health and well-being. The care plan should be comprehensive and tailored to the patient’s specific needs, considering their desired outcome, vital signs, risk factors, and goals.
Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation
The nursing process, including assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation, serves as the foundation for developing a care plan. During the assessment phase, vital signs, patient’s health problems, and risk factors should be thoroughly evaluated. Nursing diagnoses should be identified based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, considering the patient’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.
Interventions
Once nursing diagnoses are determined, appropriate nursing interventions should be selected and incorporated into the care plan. These interventions should be evidence-based and aimed at achieving the expected outcomes, aligning with the patient’s goals. Different types of nursing, such as preventive, curative, and rehabilitative, may be employed based on the patient’s condition and requirements.
Clear, Concise, and Organized
Writing a nursing care plan should be clear, concise, and organized, ensuring that all relevant information is documented accurately. The care plan should also be regularly reviewed and updated as the patient’s health status changes, and their goals and expected outcomes evolve.
Summary
A well-designed nursing care plan is vital for successful caregiving. It serves as a roadmap for healthcare professionals to provide safe and effective care to patients, taking into consideration the patient’s health, goals, and individual needs. By incorporating evidence-based nursing interventions and regularly evaluating the care plan, healthcare providers can optimize patient outcomes and provide high-quality healthcare.
You can see an example of a Caregiving Action Plan below. (Please click the pdf link below and then file and print)
If you have any questions give us a call at 402-727-7900 for further assistance.
Click the link and download: Caregiving Action Plan
Promedcare
Our goal is to keep you or your loved one healthy, happy, and safe at home. The Promedcare team of management and caregivers understands the importance of providing care within the comfort of one’s own home. Families choose Promedcare for different reasons.
For some, it’s to provide extensive ongoing care for an aging senior. For others, we offer a much-needed break or, respite care – such as a night out with a spouse, vacation, or simply a few hours of quiet time at home – for family members who provide regular care. We offer a wide range of care services customized for each individual client.
Promedcare services include Personal Care Services, Companion Care Services, Dementia / Alzheimer’s Care Services, and Respiratory Solutions.
Contact us today to see how Prodmedcare can help you!